Auston Matthews Hit With Horrible Injury Update Weeks Before the Playoffs

The playoffs are on the horizon and the Maple Leafs need their captain to be at full-strength.

He has been dealing with injuries all season long and fans know that he has struggled to stay in the lineup. His play has not been great and his injury is a huge contributor.

According to The Athletic, Auston Matthews is not 100 percent and he is not close to getting there anytime soon. However, with the Atlantic Division battle in full swing, the captain is staying in the mix.

With 23 goals and 56 points in 49 games this season, there is no doubt that the captain has been one of the more dominant and productive players in the league.

However, 23 goals is nowhere near the production we have come to expect from the superstar in terms of pure goal-scoring. After all, this is a guy who had 69 tallies last year.

Needless to say, the news of him still suffering from an injury should not come as a surprise. That said, it is still going to be tough for fans to get over this knowing that it could cost them their season.

The injury is at risk of getting even worse as the weeks go on here and with the playoffs around the corner, the team could be in a whole lot of trouble.

If you are a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, you need to make sure you are prepared for more disappointment come playoff time.

Based on this report from The Athletic, there is absolutely no way that the Leafs rest Matthews knowing what is at stake.

It's going to be a huge risk but if the Leafs get that favorable first-round matchup, perhaps some will change their tunes about it.